Ralph e



(No Model.) l

` -R.,E. ALFRED.

NON-REFILLABLB BOTTLE.

No. 592,753. Y `imam@ Nov. 2, 1897.

UNITED STATESI PATENT Orrrcn.

RALPH E. ALFRED, OF WESTON, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. I.WARDER, OF SAME PLACE. V

NON-REFILLABLE BOTTLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 592,7 53, datedNovember 2, 1897.

Application filed February 12, 1897. Serial No. 623,149. (No model.)

To all whom t may concern.- y

Be it known that l, RALPH E. ALFRED, a citizen of the United States,residing at Weston, in the county of Lewis and State of West Virginia,have invented a new and useful Non-Refillable Bottle, of which thefollowing is a specification. l

The invention relates to improvements in non-refillable bottles.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction ofnon-retlllable bottles and to provide a simple, inexpensive, and'efficient one which will be.' securely sealed after it has received itsoriginal contents and which will have to be sufficiently mutilated inorder to obtain access to the latter to prevent it from ever afterwardbeing used as an original package, and thereby avoid adulterations orthe fraudulent sale of an imitation liquid.

The invention consists in the 4construction and novel combination andarrangement of parts, as hereinafter fully described, illustrated in thedrawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended. v

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of 'a non-reillablebottle constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a'vertical sectional view of the. same. Fig. 3

is a detail view of the locking washer or plate.v

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the seal, the jaws being open.Fig. 5 is a plan view of the blank from which the locking plate orwasher is constructed. Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail sectional viewillustrating Athe construction ofthe screw and the locking plate orwasher and showing the manner in which they are interlocked.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in the figuresof the drawings.

l designates a bottle provided on the eXterior of its neck with anannular weakeninggroove 2, located ashort distance from the upper edgesof the neck and forming a shoulder adapted to be engaged by a seal 3.The seal, which may be constructed of any suitable material, ispreferably made of sheet metal, as illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and it is composed of two jaws or sections 4, hinged togetherat diametrically opposite points and provided at their lower -whichreceive suitable pivots 7, and they forni a cap to fit over the top ofthe bottle and confine the cork or stopper 8 therein.

The seal before it is applied to the neck of the bottle is opened, asillustrated in Fig. l

vof the accompanying drawings, in which position of the jaws or sectionsit is sprung over the top of the neck and engaged with the annulargroove. The sections or, jaws are provided at their upper edges withinwardly-extending arms 9, provided with perforations 10, which areadapted to register when the jaws or sections are interlocked with thegroove of the bottle.

The upper portions of the jaws or sections are held against inwardmovement by a screw ll, which passes through the registeringperforations l0 and which'holds the jaws or sections in engagement withthe bottle. The screw is provided with a suit-able head, and it has anannular groove 12, located adjacent to the` upper terminus of thethreads and `adapted to be engaged by a locking plate or washer I3,,whereby the screw is swiveled to the seal and is prevented from beingwithdrawn from vthe perforations l0,Y of the arm 9.

l/Vhen the screw is locked in engagement with the seal, it is impossibleto obtain access tothe cork without first destroying the seal orbreaking the neck of the bottle. Should an attempt be made to force theseal o the neck of the bottle, the strain will be sufficient to breakthe bottle at the weakening-groove.

As the seal is designed to bear the trademark or other matter whichidentifies the contents of the bottle with the proprietors,

IOO

and four side wings 16, which are provided at the sides of the bodyportion 14, are folded inward on the lower face of the said body portionand their inner edges are of less distance apart than the diameter ofthe screw, and they possess sufiicient resiliency to spring into thegroove of the screw and lock the same against outward movement. lVhenthe screw is forced downward, the wings 16 are adapted to spring awayfrom the body portion of the plate, but the latter prevents them fromspringing upward and releasing the screw.

The screw is provided with a suitable head, and after the seal has beendestroyed or partially removed from the bottle it is adapted to act as acorkscrew to facilitate the removal of the cork or stopper S.

It will be seen that the non-reiillable bottle is simple andcomparatively inexpensive in construction, that the locking device isadapted to be readily applied to any ordinary forni of bottle or similarreceptacle, and that it is capable of effectually preventing a bottlefrom being reiilled or its original contents adulterated and sold as anoriginal package.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any ofthe advantages of this invention.

l. In a non-refillable bottle, the combination with a bottle provided onthe exterior of its neck with a shoulder, and having a weakened portionadjacent to the same, of a seal forming a sectional cap to receive theneck of the bottle and composed of several sections, hinged together andadapted to swing apart and to close and rigidlyengage the said shoulder,whereby the seal is retained on the neck, and means for locking thesections in their engagement with the bottle whereby the seal must bedestroyed or the bottle broken before access can be had to the contentsof the latter, substantially as described.

2. In a non-reiillable bottle, the combination with a bottle, of a sealforming a sectional cap for the bottle and composed of movable sectionsor jaws adapted to open and close and rigidly engage the neck of thebottle, and means for holding the sections or jaws in engagement withthe'bottlc, whereby the seal has to be destroyed or the bottle brokenbefore access can be had to the contents of the latter, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a non-reiillable bottle, the combination with a bottle, of a sealforming a cap for the same and composed of hinged sections or jawsengaging and inierlocked with the neck of the bottle and provided withperforations registering when the jaws or sections are in engagementwith the bottle, a screw passing through the registering perforationsand engaging the cork of the bottle, and a locking device engaging thescrew, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. In a non-reiillable bottle, the combination of a seal forming a capfor a bottle and composed of two curved jaws or sections hinged at theiradjacent ends, and provided at their upper edges with inward ly-extending portions having registering perforations, a screw passing through theregistering perforations and provided with a groove, and a locking-platearranged within the cap and engaging the groove, whereby the screw isswiveled to the cap, substantially as described.

5. In a non-reillable bottle, the combination of a seal forming a capand composed of two jaws or sections adapted to engage a bottle andprovided with perforations arranged to register when the jaws or.sections are 1n engagement with a bottle, a screw passing through theperforations and provided wlth a groove, and a locking-plate arrangedwithin the cap and consisting of a body portion having a perforation toreceive the screw, and wings folded inward on the lower face of the bodyportion and having their adjacent edges arranged at the perforation ofthe body portion in position for engaging the groove of the screw,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature 1n the presence of two witnesses.

RALIII E. ALFRED.

lVitn esses:

Il. H. JOHN, C. T. TURNER.

